langwith



N0. 62!,902. Patented Mai. 28, I899. W. L. CORT G. F. A. LANGWITH.

com CONTROLLED GAS METER.

'(Appiic'ation filed .nm 27, 1898.)

- 4 Sheets-Sheet (No Mo'del.)

|NVENTOR5 ATTORNEYS No. 62l,902.

I Patented Mar. 28, I899. W. L. CORT &. F. A. LANGWITH.

COIN CONTROLLED GAS METER.

(Application filed June 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Shasta-Sheet .2.

INVENTORS WITNESSES ATTORNEYS m: NORRIS vzrzas 120.. PHoYcLLrmu, WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 621,902. Patented Mar. 28, I899.

W. L. CORT & F. A. LANGWITH. C

COIN CONTROLLED GAS METER.

(Application filed Jime 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheot 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTORS ATTOR N EYS [cv Tm: NORRIS PETERS co, wow-Luna, whnmciou. u

No. 62|,902. Patented Mar. 28, 1899.

w. L. CORT & F. A. LANGWITH.

COIN CONTROLLED GAS METER.

(Application filed .mie 27, mes. (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

WiTNESSES:

INVENTORS ATTORNEYS m: scams PETERS o0. wumuumu. wnsumc'rau. u. c.

UNTTsn- STATES PATENT macs.

. XVARREN L. CORT AND FRANK A. LANGWITH, OF'NEVV YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROLLED GAS-M ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 621,902, dated March 28, 1899.

Application filed June 27,1898. flerial N0. 68 4,563. (No model.)

To all whom it may OOIZCBI'IZ.

Be it known that we, WVARREN L. CORT, residing in New York city, borough of Brooklyn, Kings county, and FRANK A. LANGWITH, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Gas Meters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates more particularly to coin-operated apparatus for controlling the action of gas-meters, though obviously the apparatus may be used in connection with any device the nature of which would permit of the application of our invention.

Our invention is shown in the present instance as applied to a gas-meter; and the primary object of said invention is to produce a simple, cheap, and efficient device, wherein by the insertion of a coin of a given size a pre-. determined amount of gas will pass through the meter.

To these ends our invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters, designate corre sponding parts in the various views, Figure 1 is a face view of a gas-meter, showing our improved coin-controlled mechanism combined therewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of the coin-controlled m echanism, which is taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 5 and has parts broken away to better illustrate the invention. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the valve-controlling rod to be hereinafter described. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the entire device, with the cover of the meter removed to illustrate a portion of the meter mechanism. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the device, with a portion of the casing of the meter broken away to illustrate the meter mechanism. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the mechanism on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a like view of the same on line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

A gas-meter A,of any suitable construction, is provided with the usual inlet-opening a, which is adapted to be connected to the main, and after the gas passes through the meter to operate the usual or any preferred recording mechanism it is conveyed through an outletpipe I) to the service-pipes, which are connected to the outlet-pipe, as at c. In the inlet-pipe a is contained a valve-seat (Z, with which a valve 01 cooperates and which is adapted to close off all communication between the main and the meter. This valve is provided with a stem d which extends through a gas-tight opening into the casing B, which incloses the coin-controlled mechanism. The lower end of the valve-stem d is pivoted at d to a swinging plate e, which is pivoted at c. This plate 6 is provided with an internal'camgroove 6 through which a pinfis adapted to project. The pin f is carried by a collar f, which fits Within a circumferential recess in the head of the valve-controlling rod 0 and is prevented from turning by cleats f which are adapted to embrace the guide-rail f It will thus be understood that as the rod 0 is moved backward and forward the pin f will be brought into engagement with the inclined cam-faces of the plate e and will cause the valve (1 to be opened or closed. The valve-controlling rod C is provided with a slot or opening g, Fig. 3, which passes transversely through said rod and is slightly greater in width than the coin which is intended to be used. The rod 0, in addition to the slot just mentioned, is provided with a spiral groove g, in which a male thread carried by gear-wheel D, is adapted to engage. The valve controlling or operating rod 0 is likewise provided upon one side with a longitudinal spline-groove 9 in which a pin g Fig. 7, carried by the ratchet-wheel E, is adapted to project. The gear-wheel D is prevented from lateral movement by the cleats h, which extend from the casing B of the device, and'the ratchet-wheel E is prevented from lateral movement by one of the cleats h, which bears against the sleeve 4. of the wheel upon one side, and byawall of the casing B, which bears against aface'of the wheel on the opposite side.

The free or outer end of the valve-controlling rod 0 is adapted to extend through an auxiliary casing F, in the lower portion of which is acash-box j, that is closed by a suitable door j, that may be locked in any suitable manner, as indicated at j Within the auxiliary casing F is contained a rotating block G, that is provided with central coin-receiving openings it at opposite points in its diameter, and each of these openings is of just sufficient dimensions to receive the coin intended to operate the device. Projecting froni the walls of each of these slots are lugs 7t, which will support a coin of the requisite diameter, as indicated in Fig. 2, but will not support a piece of smaller diameter. Formed upon the periphery of the block G is a ring of ratchet-teeth 7.9, with which a pawl k engages to prevent the block from being turned from right to left. Projecting from the block G is a hollow stem k, which extends to the outside of the casing F and is closed at the end to form a knob By referring to Fig. 4 it will be observed that the hollow stem k is provided with a circumferential collar 7;, which is provided at diametrically opposite points with elongated recesses or welled openings N, that extend in the direction of the length of said stem.

In the upper part of the casing F is a coinslot Z,which corresponds in extent to the thickness and diameter of the coin intended to operate the device, and directly in line with this coin-slot is a second corresponding coin-slot l, which communicates with the cash-box Hoving above the coin-slot Z in a dovetail groove Z is a slide 1, which is provided with a recess Z that corresponds to one-half of the coin-slot Z. Projecting downwardly from the outer end of this slide is a finger Z that is adapted to contact with the collar 70 when either of the slots 70 in the block G are out of alinement with the coin-slot Z, and thus maintain the full portion of the slide over the coinslot Z to prevent access thereto. However, when the block G has been turned to bring one of the slots 7.: into alinement with the coinslot Z in the casing one of the recesses 79 will have been brought opposite to the finger l on the slide, and it is free to be moved into the position represented in Fig. 4 when the slot Z' in the slide is brought into register with the coin-slot Z in the casing, and a coin maybe deposited in the device.

15y referring to Fig. 6, wherein the position of the parts corresponds to the position represented in Fig. 4, it will be seen that the coinslots Z I, both of the slots 70, and the slots 9 and l are brought into alinement. Now if a coin or token which is too small to be supported upon the lugs 7.3 is introduced into the device it will drop through the various slots and will be received in the cash-box without in any way affecting the device. If, however, a proper coin is introduced into the device,it will be supported upon the lugs 7c of the block G, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and will form a connection between the block G and the operating-rod C, as indicated in Fig. (5, so that when the block G is rotated by the knob k rotary motion is transmitted to the operating-rod. When the rod 0 is moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 7, in the manner stated, the said rod will be caused to move longitudinally in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, thereby moving the Valve (1 from its seat and allowing the gas to pass through the meter to the service-pipes. The rotation of the rod 0 likewise causes the ratchet-wheel E to be rotated because of the pin or spline and groove connection between the parts. Then the coinsay a twenty-five-cent piece is inserted in the device and the block G is turned in the manner-described and makes a half-revolution, the coin will be brought into registerwith the coin-slot Z and the coin will drop into the cash-box, thereby disconnect ing the rod 0 from the block G, so that no further movement can be transmitted to the rod until another coin isinserted. Itwill be observed that when a proper coin has been discharged from one of the slots 7e into the cash-box in the manner described the other coin-slot 7c is in a position to receive another coin, and in this manner a number of coins say four-can be inserted in the device at one time, if desired. \Ve will assume that a fourth coin has been inserted in the device and that the rod 0 has been moved to the extreme limit of its movement, or until the head of the rod is brought into contact with the wall of the casing 13. Now if another coin is inserted in the device it will form the connection between the block and the rod; but the rod cannot be moved by the knob U until twenty-five cents worth of gas has been consumed or until the rod C is automatically moved back in a direction opposite to that of the arrow in Fig. 2, as will be hereinafter explained.

In Figs. 4 and 5 we have illustrated a portion of the operating mechanism of a common form of gas-meter which is now in use and which will answer to show the adaptation of our invention. This operating mechanism comprises two posts m, which are operatively connected with mechanism in the lower part of the meter, so that they are alternately turned a quarter of a revolution in opposite directions. To these posts are secured arms m, which are pivotally connected to links 172 that are pivoted to a rotating arm on", as indicated at m. This arm m is secured to a shaft on, which carries a worm m, that engages a wheel m carried upon a shaft m, which is provided with a worm m. The shaft m is removably connected with the main arbor n of a train of gear, II, which is connected to the usual hands or pointers that cooperate with the reading-dials on the face of the meter. The worm m meshes with a worm-wheel a, which is secured to a shaft of, and this shaft carries a pinion n, Fig. 7, at its outer end, which is adapted to engage a gear-wheel n. Upon the shaft 02 which carries the gear-wheel n is a worm 9L6, that meshes with the worm-wheel D. It will be seen that by this arrangement as the arms m are alternately vibrated motion is transmitted to the arm m to rotate it and the shaft m, which is connected therewith, and that this rotatory motion is transmitted to the worm-Wheel D through the shafts m 12 and a This movement transmitted to the worm-wheel D by the passage of gas through the meter causes the train of gear H to record the amountof gas consumed, and the parts are prevented from being moved backward by the gravitypawl 0, which will permit the arm m to retate in the direction of the arrow, but will prevent it from rotating in the opposite direction. As the worm-wheel D is rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. '7, it will cause the operating-rod O to be moved longitudinally in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, thereby closing the valve d when the rod has reached the end of its movement in that direction.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the wall 1) of the slide Z will cooperate with the sharp edge or wall got the coin-slotl when the slide is closed to cut off any string or wire that may be connected to a washer or the like which may be inserted in the slot to operate the device. It is impossible to operate the device by means of a stick or heavy wire,inasmuch as the knob cannot be turned until the latch is in the closed position, and the stick or wire projecting through the slot Z would prevent the latch from being closed. It will likewise be observed that it is impossible to telegraph the device-that is to say, to operate it more than once with a single coin by quickly moving the parts. Thus by referring to Fig. 6 it will be seen that the coin can be moved around with the block G between the lugs 7', but that said lugs will prevent a further movement of the coin, so that it will be discharged into the cash-box when it (the coin) arrives at the slot Z.

It is thought-that from the foregoing the operation of the device will be understood. However, abrief description of the operation will be given.

Let it be supposed that the valve (1 is closed and that communication between the main and the meter is cut off. Now the consumer may purchase any amount of gas he desires up to, say, one dollars worth at one time; but let it be assumed that he merely wishes to pay for twenty-five cents worth. He places a twenty-five-cent piece in the slot in the man ner hereinbefore described and turns the knob k onehalf a revolution, when the coin is delivered into the cash-box and the connection between the block and the operatingrod is broken. The half-turn thus given to the valve-controlling rod 0 causes it to be moved longitudinally one-quarter of its entire movement, thereby opening the valve and leaving it approximately in the position indicated in Fig. 2. The valve now being open allows the passage of gas through the meter to the service-pipes, and the mechanism in the meter starts to operate, thereby causing the worm-wheel D to rotate in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 7, thus feeding the operatingrod in a direction opposite to that in which the arrow points in Fig. 2. When twenty-five cents wort-l1 of gas has passed'through the meter, the operating-rod willhave reached the end of its movement and the valve will be closed.

'It will be observed that by our invention we are able to provide a simple, cheap, and el'ficientcoimcontrolled gas-meter,wherein the parts are all positively operated and wherein the operation of the parts is assured under all conditions, and there is little liability of the device getting out of order or being broken.

While we have shown and described with considerable exactness the construction and operation of one form of apparatus embodying our invention, we would have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact construction shown, as we are aware that many changes may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. The combination with a meter, of a valve for controlling the passage of fluid therethrough, a rotating longitudinallymovable valve-controlling rod operatively connected with the mechanism of the meter and adaptedto be fed longitudinally thereby in one direction to move the valve, coin-controlled mechanism for moving the valve-controlling rod longitudinally in an opposite direction to move the valve in a direction opposite to that in which it is moved by the meter mechanism,

said coin-controlled mechanism beingadapted to be directly connected with the valve-operating rod by an interposed coin.

2. The combination with a meter, of a valve for controlling the passage of fluid therethrough, a valve-controlling rod operatively connected to the valve, said valve having a spiral thread, a gear-wheel provided with a thread which cooperates with the thread of the rod to move it longitudinally when the gear is rotated, means operatively connected with the meter mechanism for rotating 'the gear-wheel and coin-controlledmechanism for moving the rod independently of the gear wheel in a longitudinal direction opposite to that in which the rod is moved by the gearwheel, said coin-controlled mechanism being provided with means for supporting a proper coin in place to form a direct connection between the said coin-controlled mechanism and the valve-controlling rod, whereby the valve will be moved in one direction when the coincontrolled mechanism is operated and will be IIO for rotating the gear-wheel and a hand-operated block having a coin-receiving slot which is adapted to register with the coin-receiving slot in the valve-controllin g rod, whereby when a proper coin is inserted in the device the hand-operated block and the rod will be connected to move together and the rod will be moved independently of the gear-Wheel.

at. The combination with a meter of a valve for controlling the passage of fluid therethrough, a valve-controlling rod operatively connected to the valve, said rod having a spiral thread and a coin-receiving slot, a gearwheel provided with a thread which cooperates with the thread of the rod to move it lon "itudinallv when the ear is rotated means 1 b u t! i that in which the rod is moved by the gearwheel, so that the valve will be opened when the rod is operated by the hand-operated block and the valve will be closed by the operation of the meter mechanism.

5. The combination with a meter of a valve for controlling the passage of fluid therethrough, a valve-controlling rod operatively connected with the mechanism of the meter and adapted to be moved longitudinally in one direction thereby to seat the valve, said rod having a coin-receiving slot therein, a hand-operated rotating block adapted to move independently of the valve-controlling rod and having a coin-receiving slot in opposite sides thereof which are adapted to register with the slot in the operating-rod, a casing surrounding said block and having coin-inlet and coin-outlet slots therein disposed at opposite points through the diameter of said block. 7

WARREN L. CORT. FRANK A. LANGlVITI'I. Witnesses:

CHARLES E. SMITH, FRITZ v. BRIESEN. 

